Santa Baby
by electrics
Summary: mortal!au its safe to say that this was Annabeth's best Christmas ever. / for christmas fic exchange at Monsters In The Closet; Nalaaaa! and for Jazzy challenge bc she's in the car.


Monsters in the Closet Secret Santa exchange! (and the Jazzy challenge at the last minute oops)

MERRY CHRISTMAS NALALALALALA

THISIS REALLYREALLY LATE

IM SORRY /sobs

mortal!au its safe to say that this was Annabeth's best Christmas ever.

this sucked so much I'm sorry jaz and nals

**Prompts: **Peppermint hot chocolate, "What's the point of Christmas?", snow/snowed in, "Santa, Baby"

**Pairings: **Percabeth (please), with them reuniting after a long time?

**Genre: **Humor or (light) angst, but mainly fluff

**Other:** I have _not_ read House of Hades–no spoilers, please

* * *

**Santa Baby**

Gloom settled in New York, fog rolling down streets and into the thick, humid air. Annabeth watched cars drive by, twirling a piece of blonde hair as she sat perched at her condo window.

Clawing at her wool sweater uncomfortably, Annabeth marched to the small kitchen. She huffed, breathing in the scent of Christmas cookies and peppermint before shortly realizing they were only her step-mother's candles. _Typical. _

She pulled a coat over her slim figure and slipped outside into the frosty air. She loved the cold for some reason. It was different. It made her gasp for breath when she's running too hard and scratches her throat and lungs. In those blissful, painful minutes, Annabeth could never feel more alive.

Skyscrapers towered above her as she made her way through the streets. Rain started pouring down, soaking her completely, but she didn't take much notice. And quite frankly, it wasn't until she was at their doorstep that she realized she subconsciously trekked to the Jackson's house. She hadn't spoken with them in years. Their families used to be neighbors, good friends. Actually, Annabeth and Percy were _best_ friends, but when she moved to San Francisco they just stopped talking.

This holiday break in New York City could change everything.

That's why Annabeth found her self knocking on the door, despite her brain willing her to turn around and run away.

"Annabeth?"

.::.

Sally had let her in, wrapping her up with a towel and having her sit on the couch. She then went to the kitchen to make her hot chocolate while whispering to Paul Blofis about the situation about something to do with her and Percy. Annabeth, meanwhile, was hunched over awkwardly, dripping wet and shivering.

"Percy!" Annabeth heard Sally call up the staircase. "Come down for a minute?"

Suddenly, a boy with black hair and a lanky figure came down the steps. He had headphones hanging from his neck, which he quickly whipped off in the presence of his mother. "What?"

"We have a guest," she gestured to Annabeth. "Make yourself useful and talk to her."

His eyes widened and he mouthed something like _what? _but Sally simply shoved him off towards her. With a much too reluctant sigh, he sat next to Annabeth. "Um. Hi. Whoever you are." _  
_

Eyes rolling, the blonde pulled her towel tighter around her. "Hi. Whoever _you _are. _Seaweed brain_," she countered, muttering the last bit. Annabeth suspected that he heard her from the way his eyes bulged slightly and he turned to her abruptly. Percy didn't look exactly _pleased _to see her, just shocked.

.::.

Percy was certain that this Christmas would suck.

When he glanced over to Annabeth, he saw her parents had been texting her all night and she hastily replied, but the roads were closed and she wasn't allowed to walk outside. The rain had quickly transformed into a massive blizzard storm, snowing them in. Looks like she's sleeping over this holiday.

_Just like old times._

_No. _He told himself. _This is a bad thing, this is a very bad thing. _

"Annabeth," Sally beamed as she walked over with the same old Santa mug Annabeth used to love. "Here's your hot chocolate." She handed it to her. Looking between the two awkward seventeen year olds, Sally sat down. "So...have you two talked? Rekindled friendship? Anything?"

"Nope."

"Never."

Sally rubbed her forehead tiredly. "Why not?"

Taking this as his only opportunity, Percy turned to Annabeth. "You never called me-or, us. You never said goodbye to...us-heck, you never said you were leaving!" As much as he wanted to continue, he didn't have much on her. He just missed her; and was that wrong? Annabeth just left without warning. And how was a kid supposed to survive without a best friend in high school?

"And then what-you get mad at me for leaving? I wanted to but it just...things were complicated." She frowned. Sally took this as her cue to leave them alone. "My parents wanted me to cut New York out of my life. Start over. I didn't want to, I had to."

Percy nodded, taking it in.

.::.

"Nonononononono!" Annabeth squealed as Percy chased her with his nerf gun. She didn't have any presents to open on Christmas morning, so he wrapped this old toy. And then used it against her.

At one point or another, he finally pinned her down and was prepared to shoot her when instead he kissed her softly on the lips.

"That didn't happen-" he blurted after, scrambling off of her. "If you tell anyone-even your friends-"

"Pft, what friends?" she laughed, rolling her eyes and trying to ignore the tingling on her lips.

.::.

Soon enough, Annabeth's parents arrived to pick her up.

She and Percy were in the doorway, about to say goodbye ohsoawkwardly. They hugged, entangling in each other for a few moments and breathing in each other's scents before pulling away. Almost positive her whole family was watching and clearly out of her mind, Annabeth got on her tippy toes and pecked him on the lips.

"Don't forget about me when you're all the way in San Francisco," he grinned, reddening to the tips of his ears.

"Never again."

**fin.**


End file.
